Thursday, July 19, 2012
Failure to reform the pension plan could cost the district $800,000 this year and up to $2 million next year.
A plan to reform the state’s school employees pension plan failed to advance in the Michigan Senate Wednesday. Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, told Mlive.com there weren’t enough votes to pass a compromise plan that would move newly hired teachers to a 401(k) retirement plan. Mlive reported that Richardville was confident a deal will be in place before school begins. Saline Area Schools officials are hopeful that the state will reform the system. In May, the board passed a resolution urging reform of the system. Thursday Superintendent Scot Graden said that while the district has achieved savings through its new contracts with the teachers and support staff, pension reform is a critical issue. “Even with the …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Saline's School Board passed a budget that would result in the layoff of 16-17 teachers, increase class sizes, and increase pay-to-play and other fees.
Schools might not look the same in Saline next September. A $48.6 million budget passed by the Saline Area Schools Board of Education Tuesday night would eliminate the equivalent of 16-17 full-time teaching positions, increase class sizes throughout the district, eliminate two or administrative positions, cut $830,000 in support staff costs and raise several fees on students and families. The board passed the budget by a 7-0 vote after recessing for 30 minutes and going into executive session for 40 minutes. “These are significant reductions that would have an impact across the board and in all areas,” said Superintendent Scot Graden. The $2.6 million in staff reductions account for most of the $3.2 million in budget cuts. Other cuts will …
42.182158
-83.788272
Saline Area Schools
7265 Saline Ann Arbor Rd, Saline, MI
/articles/graden-school-budget-reductions-will-impact-across-the-board
1968796
/locations/7328935
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Rep. Mark Ouimet urged school officials to call Sen. Randy Richardville with their concerns about the stalled pension reform legislation.
At a special meeting Monday, Saline Area Schools officials queried State Rep. Mark Ouimet about pension reform legislation that stalled in the state senate last week. Last Thursday, the state senate adjourned without voting on legislation designed to reform the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System. For Saline Area Schools, already dealing with a $1.7 million structural deficit, that’s $1 million in potential savings unaccounted for with the June 30 deadline for a new budget looming. The senate may take up the matter again when it returns to session July 18. At issue is the MSPERS retirement rate, the contribution rate that employers pay to the state retirement plan. This year, for every $1 school districts spend on salaries, …
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Saline Area Schools Board of Education voted 5-2 to ask Lansing to reform the pension system.
As the state takes up controversial school employee pension reform, the Saline Area Schools Board of Education voted 5-2 Tuesday to encourage legislators and Gov. Rick Snyder to reform the system. The board’s action was criticized by Saline Education Association President Juan Lauchu, who said the resolution “reeks” of political agenda. Trustees Chuck Lesch, Craig Hoeft, Todd Carter and David Zimmer supported the resolution, drafted by Trustee David Holden. Board President Lisa Slawson and Trustee Amy Cattell opposed the motion. Holden, in speaking to the motion before the vote was taken, said the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System is increasingly burdensome on the cash strapped school district. He noted that that district’…
42.184003
-83.784965
Heritage Elementary School
290 Woodland Dr, Saline, MI
/articles/board-asks-for-pension-reform-to-dismay-of-sea
1558657
/locations/7078018
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Rep. Rick Olson said the state is bailing water without plugging the hole, while Rep. Jeff Irwin called for Republicans to stop making the problem worse.
The rising cost of paying into the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System was the biggest factor in Tuesday night’s bleak budget projection by Saline Area Schools finance director Janice Warner. Today the district pays 24.46 percent of its payroll to the state, which then pays for the pensions and benefits to retired school employees. In 2004, that number was just 12.99 percent of payroll. It is expected to rise to 27.27 percent next year, 31.21 percent in 2013-14. That’s close to an extra $2 million a year in costs for a district already grappling with a structural deficit. Superintendent Scot Graden said it’s an issue that the community needs to understand. “Our costs have doubled as it relates to the pension, in the last …
42.182158
-83.788272
Saline Area Schools
7265 Saline Ann Arbor Rd, Saline, MI
/articles/democratic-republican-legislators-debate-school-employee-retirement-issue
1968796
/locations/6984541
Dawn Ducca
5:45 pm on Monday, July 23, 2012
Voting is absolutely a great idea, but we can't wait until November on this issue. We all need to contact our legislatures and urge them to work together and get a GOOD bill passed, that will not only guarantee a good retirement for our teachers, BUT will still provide a quality education to our students.. Stop the finger pointing of which party did or didn't do something and work together to fix… more ›